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Orange Blossom Half Marathon

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Location:

FL,United States

Member Since:

Feb 08, 2015

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

Certified course PR's:

Mile: 4:28.0 (Florida, Jan 2020)

5K: 15:12 (FL, Jan. 2020)

10K: 31:44 (FL, Feb. 2020)

15K: 49:03 (FL, Feb. 2020)

1/2 Marathon: 1:10:34 (FL, Feb. 2020)

Marathon: 2:26:57 (WA, July 2019)

100k (63.7 miles, trail): 9:11:00 (FL, Jan. 2019)

Personal:

I started running in 2010 and have (mostly) kept it a habit ever since!  

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
303.4543.85347.30
Race: Orange Blossom Half Marathon (13.109 Miles) 01:17:57, Place overall: 1, Place in age division: 1
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
2.1613.1015.26

Orange Blossom Half Marathon Race Report

Weather: 65 degrees, humid, misty turning into cloudy, wet pavement, gentle, constant breeze, formerly USATF certified course (out-dated).

Final time: 1:17:55 watch time, 1:17:57 gun time, 5:57 avg. per mile

Day 2 of the half-marathon weekend of death. This time the race was in the middle of nowhere, but it was a free gift, so, worth the 50 minute drive and sore legs from the race yesterday. I had looked at the times the last two years, the winner having been in the 1:23-1:24 range, so I figured a 6:15-6:20 pace would be fine to run at and hopefully be successful at staying healthy/not getting hurt while giving myself an opportunity to win. I stayed back mile one, letting a couple of runners select their paces- I have never ran a conservative effort before, so this was new and very fun in a tactical sense. They were all running at a 6:05 pace through mile 1, so I decided to roll into the lead and drop it to 6:00 to see if there were any takers, and 2 runners followed. I did not expect this- so much for a 6:20 pace.

Mile 4 was weird- I had built a 15 second lead at about a 5:50 pace, trying to shake 2nd and third while making sure to stay within myself. Meanwhile, it had rained a bit again this morning, and the road was slick, and the poor lead biker was crossing some railroad tracks and took a dive right in front of me. Bike slid out, water bottle went flying, and he slid across the pavement. I stopped to help him and grab his bike, and fortunately he was quick to jump up. I checked with him to make sure he was okay, which he said yes, but the fall looked rough, so I stayed a bit to make sure. The second place guy had caught up as well by that point, and I think he didn't know what to do, as the biker tried to gather himself, so he kept going, and I followed suit behind him. I kept glancing back until he had caught back up to us on the bike to lead us again, and felt like a jerk for my decision to keep running until he caught back up. If he stayed down I don't know what I would've done, but I hope I would've gone to get help. I knew the biker was embarrassed, so I made a note to thank him at the end of the race and an even bigger note to not bring up the fall. I'd hate someone calling me out on that.

Refocusing, I now had lost my lead, but figured keeping the 6:00 pace would be fine. By mile 7, I hadn't heard footsteps in a while, but decided to turn around anyway- only to see the second place guy not even 8 seconds behind me at most! This sent adrenaline into me- I was not expecting this based on the earlier miles, but I knew then I had to get into gear or else he'd rightfully kick my butt.

Miles 8-11 I dropped the pace accordingly. Fortunately, this helped and he eventually fell 2 minutes back. Having a more comfortable lead was nice, as the police had not securely blocked traffic on the road, so cars were weaving in and out, and with other runners on the opposite side (out and back course), tangents were impossible today, so it could've gotten hairy. I was hoping for a decent negative split for the race but geez, not to be shocked into that kind of pace like I was. I was able to calm it down the last two miles, and hit the finish. Lucky to win this one. Also learned all bikers should wear helmets. And ride perpendicularly over railroad tracks. Needless to say, I tiptoed over the railroad tracks when I crossed :)

Mile splits:

Mile 1) 6:05

2) 6:01

3) 5:58

4) 6:01

5) 5:56

6) 5:59

7) 6:05

8) 5:47

9) 5:50

10) 5:46

11) 5:52

12) 6:00

13) 6:01

Finish) 0:34 I think the pad messed up, since I was about 2 seconds off the start line.

first 6.55miles split (halfway): 39:21, second 6.55miles: 38:34

Final time: 1:17:55 watch time, 1:17:57 gun time, 5:57 avg. per mile

Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.030.006.03

Slow. Oh so slow. Sore in quads, calves, right achilles, left plantar. Worth it.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.502.5010.00

Eventually did a 2.5 mile tempo at 6:00-6:10 mile pace with Charles for part of it.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.350.0010.35

Slow.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
4.320.004.32

Ran after coaching, 7:30pm.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.110.006.11

PM, rainiy, felt much better today.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
14.190.0014.19

10mi @ 5:00am solo

4mi @ 12:00 pm with Amanda and Kelly

Still feeling right achilles, but second run was better.

Also, a Sean Gallagher sighting! Go Sean!

Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.272.008.27

Had a 2-mile tempo at 5:55mpm

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
14.670.0014.67

Afternoon 5mi before track

Night- 9ish miles after airport trip

Not much time to run today. Right achilles still tired.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.513.2511.76

AM- 4.25 Miles

Then Gym- Back, and biceps 5x5s with a focus on range of motion on the wide grip rows.

PM stuck at work, but did a workout on the track beforehand-

Ladder: 4x100, 100 rest in between, 4x200, 100 rest in between, 2x300, 2x400 with 200 rest, reversed ladder with 400 rest in between sets, times: 5:20 pace for 400s, 5:15 for 300s, 34-38 for 200s, and 15-18 seconds for 100s

Very hot outside, made it a challenge to do without my run group- hard to motivate myself. Achilles still tired.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
5.421.006.42

1 mile @ 6:00mpm pace.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
11.100.0011.10

PM run with the track kids. No real spoed, but really had about 3 separate runs total: track, then run with AJ and Cory, then got stuck on 60 on the way home in traffic, so I pulled over and ran 5 more miles instead of waiting. Fun day of running!

Right achilles still sore, but manageable, and I could feel my running form finally returning just a little bit. My slow/aerobic pace is showing the return as well. Optimistic!

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.140.009.14

Was supposed to be an off day running/ leg day at the gym, but there was traffic on rt. 60 again on my way home, so I pulled over and went for a run instead of waiting in traffic.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.040.0013.04

AM- Did the 3 Clearwater bridges with Christina. It was great catching up- this was a phenomenal run day. Achilles felt much better and my stride is evening out.

7:30 pace

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
17.754.0021.75

AM- Long run in some pretty humid, warm weather. Quint and Drew held a pretty quick pace, making me pretty thankful for warming up early. Everyone else left us on our own and didn't want the training pace. Had one very fun mile that progressed down into the 5:30s, which was fun and unexpected. Didn't think I had that in me so late in a run.

Excited to start working on some speed!

PM- 1.5 mile warmup/shakeout, then 5x5 triceps, delts, pecs, and general shoulders on free-range.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
9.100.009.10

PM- beautiful weather, got out of work early, and made the best of it. Should have run less miles to aid recovery, but I was enjoying it too much. Finally had a slow run pace that felt natural.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.114.0010.11

PM- Long warmup (3 miles), then 5 x 1200 at 5:16mpm pace, with 400 moderate recovery.

I was impressed that I was perfectly consistent throughout, and the confidence boost was nice given the hot weather. Had to run solo today which made it tough- everyone is getting ready for their races this weekend. Ended with about 400m worth of striders.

Comments(2)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
8.160.008.16

4 in the afternoon, then coaching, then 4 more with striders at the end. All solo. Hot out- too early for this.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.100.0010.10

6.25 before coaching, 3.85 after. So hot.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.022.0012.02

3 mile warmup. Progressive starting at 8:30 down to 6:00mpm for final 2 miles, then cooldown mile.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
10.150.0010.15

AM- Gym for tris, chest, dips, shoulders, and full abs and obliques, then 5 miles outside. Fun day, felt good.

PM- 5 miles, feeling bouncy... Should have slowed down a bit, but oh well.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
21.700.0021.70

Solo long run on the clearwater/belleair/sand key bridges area. Loved this run, but need to run with people or my pace is way too leisurely. Finally committed and kept the last 12 miles in the 7:30 range.

 

Today is the day that I finally beat my Garmin watch. I've always wondered if I'd ever run long enough for it to shut off, and thanks to its advanced age, it finally died on a run before I did.

Score:
Garmin: 1,000+
Me: 1

Suck it, watch.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
7.501.008.50

Warmup laps, then beep test for fun with the kids. We then played indoor soccer for cardio (thunderstorm/rain). After practice finally got to run a nice 7-miler. Very slow.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.554.0010.55

Ran 2 sets of 4 x 800s with 200 rest in between each item and 400 between each set with Drew and Lee. Lee took it easy today and hung back a bit, so it was just Drew and I, really. Although warm, I felt like I ran alright, so the dewpoint must not be too terrible yet. All were in between 2:34 and 2:40, with the last one in at 2:38.

Drew was a big help as always. I really missed the competitive edge of our group, since we've had different running schedules the last couple of weeks, so it was nice to re-kindle it a bit. Hopefully it grows, I really think our group could start running some special times and giving some even better efforts. Today was a ton of fun, plain and simple.

Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.270.006.27

PM run after track practice.

Then gym for some 5x5s with focus on lats, bis, traps, deltoids, rhomboids, and then some good old fashioned planks to finish it off.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
0.000.000.00

Day off, had conferences in the morning, track meet, then long drive home. Figured I'd have trouble fitting it in, but it's good to have a break. Just makes me more excited for tomorrow!

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Race: Honda St. Pete Grand Prix 5k (3.04 Miles) 00:15:40, Place overall: 2, Place in age division: 1
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
6.253.009.25

I had a fun warmup in the drizzling rain, which eventually cleared. I was not too excited to be running on wet brick, but figured I'd only have to worry about it for the first quarter mile or so. This event had a ton of runners from our run group: Joe, Quint, Drew, and a surprise entry with Wendy and Sean. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. I was very excited for him to have the opportunity to be racing again even if he is still recovering a bit, I know he missed competing.

The start line looked quite formidable for a local 5k, and the course is generally short by about 0.05 or 0.06, so I knew it would be fast. I knew Drew would be absolutely ready to rock, but was interested to see if anyone else would be there. I shouldn't have been surprised, but Sean G. ran out to a quick lead and a small group of 8 or so of us followed. When the dust settled at about mile 1, there were only about 4 of us remaining. My watch was being funky because of the tall buildings, and although I was hoping for 5:14 per mile, I decided to just run by feel. Fortunately Drew took charge by mile 2, and although I never looked back, I felt the other 2 runners drop well off by then.

Drew was an incredible help from this point forward. I just focused on his pace, my breathing, and on my form. Without him, I don't think I would have achieved any improvements today in my 5k running, so I was more than thankful. With about a half mile to go, I felt pretty good, but the gap had widened considerably to about 11-12 seconds. I had a fleeting though about making a hard push, but fortunately thought better of it. I just tried to maintain the distance, my focus and form. Although I had dreams of closing the gap, I definitely didn't have any extra speed in me despite feeling alright. It really was an odd feeling.

The end was a whirlwind. I was very happy for Drew and myself, and then seeing Quint and Sean finish in the top 6 was pretty exciting and put me over the top for a bit. I had a flashing moment where I hoped we'd all eventually be pushing each other at full speed to get better. I never was on a running team, but it evidently causes these flashes and/or seizures. Who knew?

Lots of fun- now if only it was a certified course...

Race notes: almost got beat down by a large man who I had apparently walked backed into. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Also, tried to pick up Drew's award to give to him as well, but they lady I think though I was going to steal it. As a white, affluent male, this is a normal expectation, so I'm used to it. We're all thieves up to debauchery.

Comments(1)
Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
13.810.0013.81

AM: 11 miles on the Dunedin Causeway and trail.

PM: 3 ish mile shakeout run before lifting on the treadmill

Gym: 5 x 5 chest: flys (60lbs), decline press (60), tricep: pulldown (110), dips, shoulders: overhead press (70), T's and I's, rotator cuff: in and outs on the fly machine (20-25), abs: planks, side planks, side-to-sides with 25s

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
22.070.0022.07

Long run in Clearwater this morning, 8 bridges total with Lee, Lyle, Mark, and a couple of others. Got there early so I ran 2 miles, then Lee came, and we did about 5 more, then we met up with the group for 2 sets of 8 milers. I didn't care much for the breaks, so I tried to run through them. I always wonder if all the short breaks of stopping negatively affects endurance- I can't imagine it does, but my opinion is very malleable on that point.

Pace was generally around 8:00 minutes per mile for the first set and then 7:00-7:30 per mile for the second set, and Mark and I dropped the second to last mile to around 6:50 over the final bridge which was fun.

Somehow, the Florida weather is comfortable again, if only for the week. I'm not complaining.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
18.020.0018.02

AM: 7 miles

Noon: 4 miles treadmill, then gym

PM: 7 miles

Spring break! Even went to the gym today. 5x5 Lats, bis, lower back (wide grip row), traps. The runs got progressively more fun, so I kept going. Last 2 miles were a bit tiring, since my arms/abs were tired.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
11.084.0015.08

AM: 4 miles

PM: track- 4 x 1 mile, with 2:30-3:00ish recoveries (400 and then standing at the line). Splits: 5:09, 5:09, 5:15, 5:07

It started out as a challenging workout. Drew wasn't able to make it and Lee was still testing his achilles and wouldn't be pushing it too hard, so I just had to stay focused and ran alone. Not really sure what happened on #3 there, but on #4 I turned it around and came out a little better. Jim pushed me for 200 on the second lap which I was thankful for. Felt good afterwards, ran another 3 miles to cool down.

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Slow milesFast milesTotal Distance
303.4543.85347.30
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